Death's Grin
by shamrock920
Summary: Sequel to Keeping Faith. Jack and Riddick are together again, wreaking havoc through the universe and taking down one bad guy after another. But, they aren't alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Death's Grin 1**

Expensively dressed men and women slowly strolled through the outside gardens, the women's slim forms imitating the thin glasses of champagne they elegantly held. They were the man's accessories, whether in beaded gold, silky red or skimpy black. Within the ceiling-high French windows, the party continued, the fake laughter tinkling with the breeze that blew through the crystal chandeliers. A hundred or so people drifted on the ballroom floor, jealous women coldly greeting each other, rich men discussing the latest deal they had made off of yet another unsuspecting client. Two curling yellow marble staircases symmetrically led up to the top tier of the room, where well-dressed bodyguards hid behind the pillars, watching their clients below. At the top of the stairs there were two doors with gold handles that were guarded by two armed men and two other men with fearsome dogs that snarled at their own handlers.

It was behind these doors that the true decisions were made by a man lounging in his oversized office, each set of French doors opening to their own personal balcony that overlooked his expansive property. He was dressed for his party, but he stayed in his office, watching his guests from live video feeds, his alert eyes darting back and forth between the screens. Behind him stood a single guard, his presence fearsome enough to make any of the arrogant men in the ballroom cower. He watched his boss pull his tuxedo coat together in the front, buttoning it, giving him the signal for him to prepare the guards outside. He reached up and gently squeezed the side of his sunglasses and heard the men outside reorganize themselves. As his boss stood he respectfully took a step back to give him room to walk from behind his desk, staying silent.

"Think there will be any good dancers tonight? Last time was terrible, wasn't one whore I'd want to bed, not even on my deathbed." His boss said, not really expecting an answer.

"Sir, I was checking the dancers for security and I don't think you'll be disappointed." The bodyguard replied, almost startling his boss who looked at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Hm," he checked a nearby floor-length mirror, looking at his slick-backed hair, "you said that last time, too."

"Only want to please, sir." He replied quickly, reaching up to squeeze his glasses again. As he did, his boss walked up to him and laid a hand on his lower waist, slipping it beneath his suit jacket.

"Oh the ways you could truly please." He whispered before stepping back, the heavy door being pulled open from the front. The bodyguard was passive and indifferent on the outside, but his nerves of steel were just that much closer to snapping.

He heard the ballroom floor silence as his boss walked through the doors, the two men with dogs standing at the top of the stairs. He walked up to the top of the stairs, leaning over, his hands spaced apart on the thick marble banister. The bodyguard stood behind, watching the guests. They all looked up, waiting for him to speak.

"Welcome friends, clients…future targets." A fake laughter swept through the guests, but the bodyguard could hear the uneasiness in their voices. "Another beautiful night for a ball, I'm sure you agree. Now, in a moment's time, we will be moving in the next room where the entertainment will begin. You will be having your usual rooms, ladies, so you know where to be going. Enjoy the ball." He finished and a soft clapping of unscarred and un-worked hands filled the room.

His boss turned to the right and began his descent down the stairs, the bodyguard just behind his shadow. When he reached the floor, a space was created and he mingled into the crowds, his bodyguard directly behind him, watching for any suspicious movement. His job was made that much easier by the fact that none of these guests presented a threat.

A flashed signal in his sunglasses alerted him to the change of scenes and, stepping up behind his boss, he whispered something into his ear. His boss politely excused himself from the conversation and made his way to the edge of the ballroom, heading to the adjoining room.

The room was set up with a catwalk and plush leather chairs arranged around them, glass tables next to them. He looked them over and stood in the very front of the catwalk. Minutes later, the men from the party filed in, though not all of them. This was exclusive and only some twenty men were allowed in. They sat themselves in the chairs, eagerly awaiting the event. The bodyguard could smell the anticipation of arousal these men were giving off.

"Welcome to tonight's main event, gentlemen. Now remember, your whores are waiting for you in your rooms, so don't get too worn out here." He ended with a cruel smile, the mock of their vitality blatantly obvious. He sat down in his chair and his bodyguard behind him, his eyes focused on the catwalk.

Soon the lights dimmed and music thumped from invisible speakers and light bells were heard tinkling from behind the chairs. Men turned around in their seats to find scantily clad girls approaching them, sly and devious smiles turning the oldest of men on.

But the boss focused on the catwalk and, sure enough, a single dancer stalked her way down the catwalk. Her long brown hair was braided, silver ribbon braided in with small bells woven through. Her top was a silver halter-top, barely covering her breasts, her tanned skin that was evenly tanned all over her entire body. She wore a silver bikini bottom; a sheer silver scarf with a beaded trim was tied around her waist. Her long legs weren't the anorexic kind the other girls had, but well-muscled and slim, like the rest of her body. The boss smiled; indeed the women were better tonight.

As she reached the end of the catwalk, she seductively smiled down at the boss, who coldly grinned back up at her. A set of stairs let her walk down to where he was seated and she approached him, her hips naturally swaying to the beat of the music. The boss was so excited he leaned forward and grabbing the girl's hips, drew her to him where she bent her knees and easily straddled him in his chair.

She sat up, balancing on her knees, making the boss arch his neck back to watch her move. She lifted her hands to the top of her chest and slowly brought them down over her chest and down her stomach, sitting back as she did. The boss had moved his bruising grip from her hips to holding her ass, slipping his hands beneath the scarf. She moved from touching herself to touching him lightly, trailing her hands down his chest and snaking her fingers between his belt, tugging at it slightly. It had only taken this much to turn him on, that much was evident as she unhooked her fingers from his belt and slid them lower. Leaning over to his ear, which she licked, she whispered, "I always enjoy a ready man."

This was all it took for him to signal to his bodyguard. He was taking this whore to his bed right then and there. He carelessly shoved her off his lap and she stumbled up, hiding her look of hurt as he stood. He walked past her and the bodyguard motioned for her to follow, which she did, not after glancing at her other dancers who gave her the thumbs up. Smiling again, she walked after him, tossing her braid behind her shoulder, nearly smacking the guard in the process. They slipped into a room that lead to an elevator, which they all boarded and silently stood.

Finally it opened again and it was into another small room. A door led into another room and the girl's mouth nearly hit the floor when she saw the wealth put into it. She regained composure as the boss ordered her to move to the bed. She quickly walked over, and was unnerved by how fast he was stripping. She wasn't too sure this man wanted foreplay. She had just finished getting off her shoes when a hand appeared in front of her face and grabbed her neck, hauling her up into standing. The boss's other hand cruelly tore off the scarf, throwing it to the floor. Letting her neck go, he forced her back to the bed and crawled up to her, stopping for a moment to painfully spread her legs apart, making her wince.

Moving up, he sadistically smiled as he reached over to the bedside table, opening and drawer and taking something out. He was straddling her and he sat up, taking the object in both hands and opening it. The girl's eyes widened when she saw a blade flip open, this wasn't going to go over too well with her real boss. But this was real money, real pay, she wouldn't really have to dance anymore after this, she could live on her own. Biting her tongue as he leaned forward, she nearly closed her eyes as she felt the cold blade slip up between the center of her halter top and her skin. In that exact moment, she heard a deep growl, one that certainly wasn't from this man.

Her eyes snapped open, a hard cruelty replacing the innocence that had been seen seconds ago. Grabbing the hand with the knife, she snapped the wrist back, the crack echoing in the room as she tore the knife from his hand and taking it in her own, stabbed it through his chest and to his heart. His eyes widened in disbelief and opened his mouth to scream but she grinned at him and he shut his mouth again. There was something entirely too sinister about that grin.

As he was falling back, she held him up and two 'thud' sounds quietly echoed in the room. She slipped out from underneath him and let him fall to the bed, the two bullet wounds in his back oozing little blood. Looking up, she saw the bodyguard lower his weapon, a gun with a silencer. She walked to him and called for the lights off, reaching up to his face. She took off the glasses and standing on her toes, kissed him lightly. Pulling back, his determined silver eyes connected with her hazel ones and he swooped down, capturing her lips again. When they parted, she looked back at the bed and shuddered, comforted by the arm that slipped around her bare waist.

"Think of how many girls he has done that to." She said, resting her head on his chest. He stroked the lower part of her back with his thumb and kissed the top of her head, making her look up at him.

"He didn't do it to you and right now, that's all that matters, Jack." He said, kissing her head again.

"What a sympathetic softie you are, big bad ass Richard B. Riddick," she snorted, smiling as she pulled away from him. "We aren't done yet, we've got to get out of here."

"You think I wouldn't have a way?" He asked, unscrewing the silencer off his gun and hiding the parts of the weapon beneath his jacket.

"The mighty beast always has a way," she mocked, looking around for her shoes.

"Ain't got time for that, Jack." He said, glancing at the lifeless lump of a bastard on the bed. "Make it look like he's just sleeping."

"Aye, aye, mon capitan." She saluted him and climbed back on the bed, using the sheets and blankets to cover him in all the right places while still making it look like he had a wild night of passionate sex. Climbing off, she was sad to see him replace his sunglasses.

"Let's get out of here." He growled, propelling her to the door. Back in their acts, she forced a few tears and walked with shame, just as an innocent girl would've done. The doors to the bedroom opened into a hallway, where a few guards stood watch. They looked her over and shook their heads.

"Any instructions?" One of them asked the boss's bodyguard.

"I'm escorting this girl out, it would be best not to interrupt him, after what he did to her there's no telling what he'd do to one of us." He motioned to the silver-clad dancer who stood awkwardly among the finery and the guards took pity on her. She was just doing this for the pay, but she got hurt in end. The guards glanced at the door to the bedroom nervously and nodded, they didn't want to be part of the man's 'experiments'.

"She gonna be alright?" One of the other guards asked, looking concerned.

"Doubt it, that girl's sense of trust has got to be violated or something." One of the others replied.

"Miss?" The guard who had asked about her stepped up to her and like a frightened deer, she froze and her lower lip trembled slightly. "It's cold outside, especially in clothes like that. Here," he shouldered off his suit jacket and moved behind her, draping it over her shoulders, "take this."

"I…your boss…" she stuttered, her whispering voice making the guards feel all the worse.

"Don't worry about him. Bastard can't keep going for what…one time?" The other guard asked and the girl cracked a small smile.

"Barely got through the first go, yeah." She said and they smiled at her.

"Well get out of here while you still can. See you around." They said to the boss's bodyguard who nodded and propelled the girl by her elbow away from the bedroom.

The boss lying in the bed had his eyes closed in sweet death, his body growing colder by the second. No doubt he was at the gates of Hell, his past demons swooping down on his damned soul. But looking back, the last thing he saw was a cruel and sadistic grin, not sly enough to be a demon, not heartless enough to be the devil, but somewhere in between. He realized it, what had seen was Death's Grin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Death's Grin 2**

"Strap in, Jackie girl, we're jetting out of here." Riddick called back to Jack, who was changing in their bedroom. "I mean it!"

"Fine!" She yelled back, jogging into the control room, dressed in the same silver top and a pair of baggy army-green pants. Sitting down, she pulled down the straps from the back of the chair and buckled herself in, glancing over at Riddick who was blatantly staring at her.

"Is it that hard to put on a shirt? You know I can't fly with a distraction like that," Riddick said, shaking his head. He pulled back the acceleration lever slowly, the ship moving out from the port. Jack secured a headset on, fixing the mouth piece and connecting the wire to the radio she clipped at her waist band.

"You told me to get going, so consider it a test," she replied, opening the communications to the port tower. "This is JNR9047 requesting permission to take off."

"This is tower, checking for clear runway." An accented voice came through the line. Riddick idly trailed his hand up Jack's thigh and she ignored it up until a point, when she grabbed it, took out a pen and drew a heart on his hand. He pulled it back as if it had been burned and glared at her, but the tower communications line had opened again.

"JNR9047 you have permission to take off. Safe flying, ma'am." The polite voice said and Jack smiled.

"Thank you, sir, have a good day."

"Same to you."

Jack cut the connection and glanced over at Riddick who was concentrating on pulling the ship out into the atmosphere. She sat back and let him work, pulling up holographic screens to check the ship's supplies and the like. When they were clear out of the planet's atmosphere, Riddick began to set a course. Jack unbuckled the straps and leaned back in the chair, watching Riddick's movement. When he finished he sat back and sent a glare to Jack.

"That was unnecessary and you know it." He said, rubbing at the ink on his hand that wasn't fading. Jack rolled her eyes and looked over at him.

"Just having some fun, okay? Take it easy. Look, in some ten minutes the money will be wired, our cred chips overflowing with cash again and it's all good." She said, taking one hand from behind her head and motioning with it.

"Jack…" he trailed off, his hand a little red from rubbing it so hard.

"Yeah?"

"How far were you going to let him go?" He asked, looking down into his lap. Jack sat up immediately and looked hard at him.

"Riddick, look at me." She ordered and he looked up warily. "If he hadn't been such a creep, maybe a little farther then that, but nothing beyond. The knife really cut things short, no pun intended." He looked down again and started rubbing at his hand again.

"Riddick… c'mon…there's only one man who can ever go that far with me and he's sitting right next to me." She said and Riddick looked up again and she could sense the relief. Standing, she stepped over to his seat, sat on his lap and unbuckled his straps, standing again to pull him from his seat. "Let's clean this off, big guy."

She took him by the hand and went down the hallway, through their bedroom door and through the room and into their bathroom. Standing in front of the sink, she pulled his hand until he was standing directly behind her, his breath softly blowing against her neck. She turned on the tap and grabbing a washcloth and bar of soap, she set to work gently washing the ink off his hand. She stopped for a moment and leaned back against his chest, his other hand snaking around her waist and pulling her against him.

"Riddick, when can we break from this?" She asked, leaning forward to continue to scrub the ink off his hand.

"Don't you like this?" He questioned back and she threw the washcloth into the sink with a wet smack and turned around and glared at him fiercely.

"How many more times am I going to have to say 'you know I like it' until it gets through to you! I love this, I love all of it! The thrill, the danger, risk, whatever it is, I love it and I love it even more because I man I love is right there next to me the entire time! I'm just asking when we'll be good enough to pick and choose among the offers, good enough to disappear for a while to relax. That is what I want to know!" She yelled, landing her fist on his chest, but not to hurt.

"Christ, that's what you want to know? Why? If you love it so much why do you need to know?" He asked her and she snarled up at him.

"Because," she shoved him away from her and walked to the bathroom door, "I don't know about you, but that kill…Mr. Morgan, the one before this slick bastard, that one hurt me, Riddick. You know why?"

He stayed silent.

"He had a wife and kids, Riddick, a wife who was once a world-famous criminal, he was just this average guy with a weird past that slipped into her lifestyle and they worked as a team for a while before they settled down and had kids. Doesn't that sound just a little familiar?" She shot at him, turning to leave the room.

As she stepped away he reached out and caught her wrist, sharply tugging her back into his chest. She didn't resist but glared at him as she looked up into his eyes.

"You don't think I was thinking the same thing, Jack? You're getting at the fact that there could be two others after us who will kill us?"

"It's not only that, we killed a husband and father. This last one, we just rid the world of a parasitic bastard, but we killed a father, Riddick, and a husband." She said, a sad guilt filling her eyes.

"A father, husband and weapons dealer! He was a threat to his family all along and they never knew!" Riddick exclaimed and grit his teeth when Jack winced at his sudden raised tone.

"He was still a father." She stated and looked down, breathing loudly.

"We can't do this if we're going to be thinking of the consequences of what we do. We kill for money and we know it, all of them, out there? They kill people for profit too, but they just don't know it. They are indirect causes for the deaths of innocent people, Jack. We, we are direct causes for the deaths of dangerous people, the people that are the indirect causes." He reasoned and he wasn't sure it made sense.

"You're right." She replied and looked up again, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. He moved at the last second and captured her lips in his and for a long moment their mouths moved silently against each other before her arms slipped around his neck and they broke apart for air.

"You going to be alright now?" He asked, leaning her forehead against hers.

"Still want a vacation, but yeah, with this sex, I think I'll manage just fine." She smirked and stepped back. A large smile broke the smirk and she laughed aloud before sprinting out of their room and into the hallway. "Catch me if you can!" She shouted and he was right behind her.

"Can't hide from this beast, Jackie girl!" He yelled back and chased her around the ship, her body just inches away from his grip every time. Finally they ended up in the main room and Jack jumped into the pilot's chair and swiveled around in it before Riddick shot out his hand and stopped it.

"That was fun, should do that more often." She said, a soft smile returning to her face.

Riddick faced the chair towards him and gripped the two ends of the back of the chair, leaning into Jack to kiss her. Just as she pulled her body up to meet him, a holographic image to her left flickered up over the control boards. Riddick stepped back and glared at the man in the image.

"Looks like I interrupted some sweet lovin', Dickie boy." The voice made Jack wince in repulsion.

"What the fuck do you want?" Riddick growled, his silver glare making Jack nervous, he really didn't like this guy at all. She turned to face the screen and she didn't recognize the man there. A man from Riddick's past?

"Well, first off I'd like a fling in any bed with that sweet whore of yours-"

"NOW!" Riddick yelled, his voice rumbling the ship like surrounding thunder.

"No need to yell, Dick. Just decided I'd drop a line, you know a pleasantry."

"Why?"

"Figure if I was going to be making your lives miserable and giving you both hell, I'd say hello first." He smirked and Jack shuddered, this man was disgusting.

"Go fuck yourself, Toombs." Riddick snarled and cut the connection.

**Sorry for the shortness, it'll get longer soon.**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**IT – You were the first reviewer, good job. Very proud indeed. **

**TotallyRiddickObsessed – Hey, glad to see you reviewing this new story, makes me happy. There will be more as to what Jack and Riddick are up to in the next chapter, just wanted to use this one to kick the plot into action, mind if I refer to you as TRO in the review-thanks?**

**njrd – Hey! I loved your last chapter for Soul Mates. I'm going along the lines of professional assassins, yes, but it will be clearer in the following chapters. Glad you liked the hidden characters of Riddick and Jack in the beginning.**

**Nikita1506 – Oh yes, Riddick and Jack will be reigning supreme. **

**TrunksgirlBlaze27 – Glad you like it, sorry about the shortness of the chapter.**

**lamyka – I had a few ideas for how to get the story going, I might use them later on for different situations. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: There will be quite a few sexual references in this chapter. You've been warned.**

**Death's Grin 3**

After Riddick had cut the connection, he had quickly left the room and Jack heard him roughly grab the toolbox from a back room, kick open the trap door to the engines and go down. Sighing, she opened up a search screen and recalled that Riddick had called the man Toombs. Settling in for a thorough search, she got to work and soon only the typing of the keys could be heard, along with a 'clang' or harsh curse from beneath the floor.

"Haha, Toombs, you old dog, still got it in ya." He grinned to himself, standing up from his pilot's chair and stretching. He sauntered away from the main control room and into the ship's kitchen, if one could call it that.

The 'kitchen' consisted of a small sink, a half-size fridge and a counter, on which a cardboard box of instant food sat. Opening the fridge, he frowned at his dwindling supply of beer and opted to go without for tonight. He then pawed through the box and found some instant steak and rice dish. Taking it out, he went back into the control room and nearly threw himself into his seat, propping his legs up on the control board.

Leaning forward, he typed in a few commands and a holographic screen flickered into view and in italicized pink script it read: _"Banging Chicks and Babes: Part 7". _Smirking, he settled back and taking his instant food, twisted off the bottom, which was a metal disc and with a tiny explosion, the food was heated and steaming from beneath the top wrapper. Peeling it off, he picked up his fork and began to eat, sighing at the moment the first credits started reeling.

"You certainly know how have a crazy-ass party night; instant food, favorite porn and just after mentally torturin' your favorite target," he muttered to himself, his eyes lighting up as three girls on the screen sauntered through some hallway and into a bedroom, discarding their skimpy clothes along the way.

"Yes! Nurse, dominatrix and mechanic! Oh, this is a real treat." Toombs shoveled more food into his mouth and watched the screen and the sex unfold, because really, porn has no plot.

Jack still avoided Riddick after he emerged from the dark depths of their ship, slipping into another room as soon as he walked into the one she was in.

Just as she was settling into her newest retreat, Riddick's voice echoed through the ship and it didn't sound threatening at all. Almost inviting, actually.

"Coming!" She replied, getting up from her seat and moving towards the direction his voice had come from. She found him sitting in the pilot's chair, his silver eyes dull with intense thought and memory. Walking towards him, she rested a hand on his tense shoulder, making him look up.

"Jack, we've got a serious problem here." He said, his usually confident voice lacking the victorious note it usually held.

"He's a merc, how much trouble could he really be?" She asked, and his eyes cleared for a moment.

"Looked him up?"

"Yeah, not like you were around to tell me anything big guy." She said, smiling softly at him.

He sat back and, gently grasping her hips, pulled her towards him until she sat on his lap, facing him. Instead of keeping her knees bent, she slipped them through the space between the seat and the armrest, letting them dangle. Riddick rested his arms around her waist and let his head fall to her still bare chest. He nuzzled her and waited for a response, which was quick to come – Jack used her fingers to apply pressure to his tense shoulders, trying to relax him.

"You're still a distraction." He mumbled and he didn't see her grin, but he felt her kiss on top of his head.

"That I know. So, what are we going to do about this slick, dirty, slimy, regular brothel visiting bastard?" She asked and Riddick laughed.

"That's possibly the best description I've ever heard of him." Jack grinned at that and breathed deeply, making Riddick talk. "He's been hunting me for years now, even before you and I met. I've had many chances to shiv him, but I enjoyed it, being chased and always getting away."

"What? You enjoyed it?" She asked, sounding incredulous.

"Before we teamed up again, yeah I did. But now you're here and-"

"You don't want anything happening to me, got it. Was he part of Johns' crew?" She asked and Riddick shook his head.

"Never could work for anyone but himself."

"Typical merc, then?"

"110 merc. I think this time I'm doing him in for good, though." Riddick said thoughtfully and Jack smacked him on the side of his head, making him growl at her.

"You **_think_** you're going to do him in for good? You will! If you don't, I certainly will!" Jack exclaimed and Riddick let out a warning growl.

"It isn't like that, Jack. You can't just step in for me and kill this merc." He said, thinking that would explain everything, but to his annoyance, it only furthered Jack into questioning him.

"Says who? Don't tell me there's some sort of unspoken, unwritten code that we have to abide by, because let me tell you, I won't be following some rules when it's _your_ life at stake." She replied and for a brief moment, Riddick was touched by her venomous words, she really cared for him and her love managed to sneak through in the most violent of ways, but it was there.

"There isn't, but it's something between Toombs and me, not Toombs, you and me." He said and watched for Jack's reaction. It wasn't good.

"Oh, I get it, this is some immature man to man bitch fight…okay, this is getting clearer." She said, sarcasm dripping like acid, only pissing Riddick off.

"I won't honor that with a reply but I will tell you," he forcefully grabbed her arms in a bruising grip, like the one the billionaire had just a day or so ago, "you aren't getting involved in this."

"And since when do you control what I do?" Jack dangerously hissed, her eyes hardening, and Riddick could almost feel the air around her drop to freezing levels.

"It isn't your fight, you should respect that." He sounded like he was teaching a first-time fighter the rules of combat. Jack was no first-time fighter, nor did she obey the rules of proper combat.

"I can make it mine." She smoothly replied, leaning closer to his face. "And the only person I respect is myself."

"Combat isn't a person."

"Still don't have to respect it."

"You don't respect me?" A tinge of hurt could be heard.

"No, I don't; I love you, Riddick, and that is an entirely different matter altogether." With that, she closed the distance between them and pillaged his mouth, earning his pet name of 'pirate wench'.

When they pulled apart, Riddick grinned and pushed Jack off his lap, holding her hips while she stood. He turned to the control board and began to patch a connection. Jack sat down in her seat next to his and watched on, her lips quirking up in mild amusement as Toombs' flushed face appeared on the screen.

"Sorry, did I interrupt the eunuch's 'personal' time?" Riddick asked and Toombs glared at him and obviously shifted in his seat.

"Hiding something?" Jack asked, her voice there but her face not. Toombs took this opportunity to get back at Riddick for patching through a connection that he couldn't block or refuse.

"Yeah, something I'd like to stick in you." He shot back and he was instantly rewarded by Riddick's intensely furious glare. Victory was short-lived.

"Well, it'd have to be a dildo 'cause you ain't got nothing _to_ stick in me." Jack fired back, and Riddick looked pleased; at long last he found someone that Jack could let loose her dirty mind and mouth on.

"Enough chit-chat, ladies, let's get down to business." He was confused by a piece of paper being put up to the screen and lifted his lip in disgust when he read what it said.

"JACK: 1, TOOMBS: 0."

"Very funny." He growled and the sign was taken down, but he could still hear her laughter behind Riddick, who was grinning like a madman.

"So, what's the business you're talking about? This chasing? I'm not in the mood for it." Riddick said and Toombs raised his eyebrow and snorted.

"Boy, just because I said I'd chase you didn't mean I didn't have a reason behind it."

"Yeah, like, turning in Riddick's ass for some unimaginably high bounty?" Jack asked and Toombs was getting irritated at the voice with no face to go with.

"No, not necessarily…" he answered and Riddick snorted.

"What else would you be chasing me for?" He asked, but he was interrupted by Jack.

"You know, if you did catch Riddick and jail him in some slam, it would be theft." She said out of nowhere and Riddick resisted the need to swat her and roll his eyes.

"What do ya mean, girlie?" Toombs asked, wondering where the hell she was pulling this from.

"His ass…hell…his _body_ belongs to me!" Jack crowed and Toombs looked thoroughly disgusted. "There is evidence to prove it!" She added and grinned at Riddick when Toombs moaned.

"Back to the matters at hand," Riddick took control of the conversation and Jack spun around in her chair.

"I'm calling in a favor, Riddick." Toombs said and Riddick laughed out loud in response.

"A favor? Tell me, what the fuck do I owe you?"

"That one time I let you keep a shiv with you when you went into prison. Now, let me review my facts but I think it was with that very shiv you escaped the prison." Toombs supplied and Riddick frowned; if he had known, why didn't he take it away? "Because if you got out, bounty would be back up and even higher then before, that's why, sweetie."

"You are nothing but a money-" Jack started, but Riddick held her down with one hand and she quieted immediately.

"So I owe you, what's the catch?" He asked and Jack shook her head, this wasn't going to end well, that much she knew.

"Want you to kill this guy for me."

"Why can't you do it?"

"Mercs don't kill fellow mercs," Toombs said and Riddick and Jack snorted at the same time. "C'mon, I'll pay."

"How much?"

"Enough for you to go into retirement." He replied.

"Who's the bastard we've got to kill?" Jack asked idly, playing with a strand of her hair.

"I'll send you the files when this is done, you taking the job or not?" He asked, an edge of fear in his voice. Jack noticed it immediately; he wasn't afraid of Riddick or her, he was afraid of what would happen if this man he wanted killed wasn't going to be passing on soon.

"Jack?" Riddick asked, looking at her. She nodded. Enough money to go into retirement? Maybe they could take a vacation or something.

"So you're going to do it?"

"Yes, we are. Send the files, Toombs."

"You've got it, Dickey boy." He replied and the transfer of file was started. The connection was still open as the file automatically opened and suddenly the room was filled with the sounds of a woman loudly moaning and a man grunting with every slap of flesh against flesh and Jack didn't even look at the screen.

"TOOMBS!" Riddick shouted and the file stopped.

"Whoops, wrong file." He said and Riddick snarled. Finally the right files came through and the connection was cut. Sighing, Riddick opened the file and the room went quiet. Jack spun around and looked at Riddick, whose eyes were wide with confusion and amazement. She followed his eyes to the screen and softly cursed when she saw the image.

It was the blue-eyed devil staring right back at them.

**Note: I know, this is a crazy twist, we'll see how crazy I'll end up making it. Do we want some sort of creepy science thing or brother thing? Please tell me!**

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TRO- You can assume a few years or so, no more then three I'd say. Good question.**

**lamyka- take the easy way out and disappoint you? Never.**

**njrd- Oh I'm getting crazy when I write, you can tell, can't you? I mean, I have this running thought that they're mortal, they're human, even if it's wrapped up and impossible to find, like Riddick. **

**Nikitia1506- I have a snowballs chance in hell of updating 2-3 days a week, it's impossible, but I promise I won't do a redo of the last chapters of ToF, that was cruel. **

**IT – The Fate laugh at a lot of people, it's true. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Death's Grin 4**

"He's got to be fucking with us, Riddick; Johns is dead! He was shived, eaten and digested! Monster meat!" Jack yelled, following Riddick to the back of the ship. He didn't say a word as he continued farther back because he was in search of something and didn't have the time to stop and argue with Jack.

She followed him angrily, her body radiating hate. Right then she was cursing him for taking on the job, but she ignored it while she watched him open a compartment in one of the walls. A shelf of discs flipped out and he trailed his hand over the row before plucking one out and pushing the shelf back into the wall. As he sat back down in the pilot's seat, Jack stood behind, watching.

"Riddick…" she said, her voice now sounding tired. Suddenly he stood and faced her, entwining the fingers of her hands with his. She willingly moved in for the kiss he offered and cursed herself for having no will to resist him. When he pulled back, she was much less hateful, although still confused.

"I know this is weird, but think about it this way," Riddick started and he could see Jack's eyes focus on his voice, so he continued. "Whoever or whatever that is, whether it's some twin, a copycat, a robot…whatever, it's best that we know about him before he knows about us. We kill him, threat's gone, and we're fine."

"What if he and Toombs are conspiring against us?" Jack asked and Riddick shook his head.

"There's a snowball's chance in hell that those two mercs would ever work together." Riddick replied, and Jack felt comforted. Almost.

"What if it's really him?"

"Then…it's going to be one hell of a reunion." Riddick sat back down and tugged Jack into his lap, who complied and rested her head on his shoulder while he snaked an arm around her waist to slip in the disc he had gotten.

"What's this?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as a program flashed up on the screen.

"I took the liberty of copying Toombs' hard drive over that lengthy conversation you had with him. These are merc lists; it continuously collects data on any known merc. If Johns is still alive, there should be 'recent' activity on his file." Riddick explained, making Jack grin.

"Maybe he's a vampire or something." She said, making him roll his eyes. They went through files and passwords before they got to Johns' file. Riddick scrolled down the page and stopped dead at one point. Jack read the file aloud, trying to humanize it.

"'Briefly lost contact while transporting criminal Richard B. Riddick to a slam. Presumed dead in the tragedy of H-G, a passenger ship destined for New Mecca. Investigators and scientists followed up on the crash shortly after, discovering a light-phobic alien creature. Ten were captured and removed from the planet for testing.

"'The orbit patterns of the planet were studied and it was discovered that there was a complete solar eclipse every two decades, give or take a few years. These creatures come out only during that time and unless there is an available food source, they end up eating each other. In this case, the food source was the survivors of the crash, Johns included.

"'During the testing of the largest creature found and captured, the chemicals injected into the creature had adverse effects and seemed to be affecting the unborn creature within it. It began to move around in the lower part of the animals body and emit strange noises, unlike the wailing ones heard by the creatures.

"'The discovery proved to be even stranger when the other females of the captured test subjects began to lay eggs. Immediately the largest one was killed and dissected and a still-living human was found within. It seems that the digestive system of the creatures were extremely slow, so as to keep as much food and energy within the creature as long as possible.

"'The human was taken out and, after years of rehabilitation and surgery, was seen fit to go back into society. This human was Johns.'"

Jack stopped and blinked at the screen, unable to go on. Silence reigned in the ship as they digested the information, barely able to believe that Johns was alive and kicking. Swallowing, she continued.

"'Many vital parts of Johns were missing, so many transplants were needed for him to fully recover. The funding for this was given by the government, who viewed Johns as a test subject.

"'The whereabouts of Johns is unknown, as is his profession. He was a merc before the H-G crash, but it is not proven that he is still in that line of work as of now.'"

"That's sick, they recreated possibly the worst man to recreate, why couldn't they have brought back Shazza or-" Jack started, her voice wavering with emotion. Riddick silenced her with a look and gathered her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest. They had almost never discussed the crash, both trying to block it from memory. Jack buried her face in Riddick's neck, tears falling from her eyes and onto his skin. He did his best to comfort her, kissing her hair and holding her tighter, whispering nonsensical words into her ear.

"Jack…Jack, c'mon, I know it's painful, but there isn't anything we can do now. At least we're chasing him now, not the other way around." He offered and felt relieved when he felt Jack smirk against his neck. Sitting up, she wiped the remaining wetness from her face and did her best to smile.

"So, are we going to catch this bastard anyway?" She asked, grateful for Riddick's presence. Nothing had been like the time in the hospital, in her nightmares. She didn't have nightmares anymore, always wrapped safely in Riddick's arms.

"We'll be doing a lot of port jumping, that's for sure. Try to find a source of where he was last seen, work from there." Riddick explained and Jack nodded. "Let's get to work then."

"Riddick!" Jack's call startled him from picking through the endless cardboard cartons of instant food they lived off of. Grabbing two from the counter, he quickly went into the main room, where Jack had selected a repeating streaming tape of a security camera. He tossed her a carton of noodles, which she caught easily while twisting off the metal bottom. She noisily slurped at it, not even bothering to use a utensil.

"So?" He asked, not impressed.

"Look! That guy in the hat!" She pointed him out and Riddick narrowed his eyes. Still didn't see it.

"Ok, let's try this…" she typed in a command and the screen switched to heat vision. "I went through his file and not all of his new body parts are from another human, they're manmade. They were still perfecting the blood running through the arm and such, so one of his arms is mechanical. Thus it will have no heat signature." She was right, on one of the arms there was no heat signature at all.

"So? Anyone could have an arm like that." He said, beginning to wonder if Jack needed some sleep.

"Yes, but…" she froze the frame, zoomed in on a glass counter that he was passing. Picking up the frame, she narrowed the focus and sharpened the image and a clear reflection of the man in the hat was seen. She flipped it over and sure enough, it was the shifty-eyed Johns staring off somewhere. She grinned when Riddick slipped his hand around her waist and rested it on her hip.

"Knew you could do it, Jack." He rumbled, tossing his empty food container in the flame disposal and Jack's carton soon followed. "Time to track."

"Oh, joy." She grumbled, sitting back down in her chair. Tracking was so boring; it was the chase that got her excited. She reviewed his medical information but soon began to drift off to sleep as the soft noise of keyboards working continued. She vaguely remembered the noise stopping and feeling Riddick's arms slip beneath her, carrying her to their bedroom.

She woke up slightly on the walk there and rested her head against his chest. He deposited her on the bed and moved back to take off her shoes but grabbing fistfuls of his shirt; she tugged him onto her and kissed him deeply. A battle of dominance ensued, Jack shivering as Riddick trailed his tongue up the roof of her mouth. Breaking for air, she grinned sleepily at him and kicked off her shoes. He turned and took off his boots, not facing Jack as she pulled down the covers and slipped beneath them, not bothering to undress.

"Tired?" He asked and he was answered with a sleepy affirmative.

Pulling up the covers around himself and Jack, he rested his head against the pillows as she instinctively moved close to him. He raised his arms over his head, clasping his hands behind, watching Jack snuggle towards him, laying her head on his shoulder, her hand relaxing on his chest. Unlocking his hands, he draped one arm over Jack's waist and laced his other hand with her hand that rested on his chest. He arched his neck and kissed her head and was rewarded with a content purr.

"Night Riddick, love you…" she mumbled, grinning to herself as she heard his heartbeat speed up slightly at her words. She knew he loved her, but it was a contest with herself, seeing how many times she could get him to say it.

"I know, Jackie…love you…too…" he barely said but Jack heard it before she fell fast asleep, a smile on her face. Riddick drifted into a half-sleep, a catnap, his senses still on alert for any threats. It wasn't to protect himself anymore, but to protect the beautiful woman who even as a girl, trusted him and held faith in him even though it was buried deep inside of her. He would never let that go and more importantly, never let her go.

**Sorry for the late update! Life's been more hectic then necessary lately. More regular updates, although I won't be near my laptop for the holidays. **

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TRO- Hope you liked the twist, I must've scratched four or five plans before I came up with this one. Thanks for reviewing!**

**lamyka- Oh yes, this has been some "quirky shit" as you so elegantly put it. Glad you like the dialogue, I always wonder if I'm messing up some grammar rules, but if the masses like it, it's good.**

**njrd- Toombs actually isn't that bad, he is a bit of an arrogant bastard, but in all honesty, I think he could be a hell of a lot worse. Yeah, I tried to keep Toombs' character intact. I'm afraid it's Johns himself, not his brother. Hope you like it anyway.**

**TrunksgirlBlaze27- Sorry about the late update! Gah! But yeah, Toombs is back and ready to…well, clearly be a coward and not get Johns himself. We might have him work with Riddick and Jack…maybe, just maybe. **

**Nikita1506- Toombs can be a very nasty guy, although very good to laugh at. Thanks for reviewing!**

**teiboi- Gah! Considering that was your only review, I feel bad about not updating sooner. As I said, hellish life less updates. **

**ren3017- Sorry for the late update, Renee, but I'm glad you like the Toombs I made out; you know, bachelor (probably eternally so) watching porn, eating instant food. Are we surprised? No.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Death's Grin 5**

Riddick woke up the moment the mattress shifted beneath him and immediately tightened his grip on Jack. He heard an amused sigh crossed with a snort to his right and he looked to see Jack smiling.

"It's ok, big guy, just me." She said, stroking his arm gently. She had seen more then once the moments when Riddick wasn't quite alert enough to keep his beast under control, so a flash of it would snap through the barriers, a biting spark of fire in the silver. It had unnerved her the first few times, but she realized that her voice would bring Riddick back faster.

"So why are you getting up?" His deep voice growled unintentionally. He had been very comfortable up until a few seconds ago. Jack sat up and Riddick let his grip slide as she placed one of her hands on his toned stomach, lightly tracing the contours of his muscles.

"Phone's ringing and I bet it is Toombs. What a shitty hotel wake-up call, huh?" She joked and Riddick flashed her a cat-like grin before quickly sitting up and claiming her mouth with his.

Needless to say, the call was forgotten until a few minutes later.

"C'mon, let's go say morning to Toombsy." Jack said, her voice suddenly smooth with lust. Riddick followed her as she made her way to the call screens, his hands nearly twitching to grab her hips, slam her to the floor and have his wicked way with her. And as if she could read his mind, Jack said, "Employer comes first, dear."

"He ain't much of an employer, Jack." Riddick replied.

"Work hard, party harder." She said and he grinned at that. He was definitely getting rewarded after dealing with Toombs.

He sat down first and Jack made herself comfortable in his lap, nuzzling his neck before he patched through a connection. When it was made, Toombs face couldn't be seen, so Jack yelled for him.

"HEY! PUSSY! GET YOUR MOUTH OUT-"

"I'M HERE!" Toombs yelled, nearly throwing himself into his chair. Jack laughed with Riddick, who discovered that maybe these calls weren't so bad if Toombs was going to be shamed in every one of them.

"Aw, if it isn't Toombsy-woomsy, and how did you sleep last night?" Jack cooed and Toombs narrowed his eyes at her.

"Just fine, thanks." He nearly spat.

"Really? Even with that boner? Cause face it, there ain't no way you're smart enough to jerk off, even to a vid." Jack answered and Toombs was nearly sputtering with disbelief and rage.

"That's enough, Jackie, don't get too creative yet." Riddick said and Jack smirked with victory. "You alright Toombs? Look a little flushed." He commented and Jack couldn't resist.

"Course he's flushed, he's embarrassed because the actual truth of the matter is that he's a eunuch!" She nearly crowed with glee when Toombs let out an offended gasp at the insult from their previous conversation. Jack lifted herself off Riddick's lap and went to laugh elsewhere, giggling the entire way.

"Alright, down to business, Toombs." Riddick growled and with another lip twitch, Toombs nodded. "Why the fuck is that bastard after you?"

"Kinda cheated him of a bounty and he's on my ass for that. That and probably information on you." Toombs explained and Riddick snarled, basically saying 'not good enough'.

"Ok! Fine! When he was transporting you, the bounty was paid before he got on board, so he had it being transferred to his account. I was pissed because I'd been chasing you for years, it should've been my bounty! So I kind of…rewired the transfer."

"So he's chasing you over my bounty? Don't lie, Toombs, there's got to be something else." Riddick said, shaking his head.

"When he went through all that surgery and shit, I was on his contact list and stupidly responded to the hospital's call. So I went and shit and I flipped when I realized who it was. So I did a few things to him while he was there…messed with his circuits a bit, anything that would kill him that wasn't obvious. So he's after me because I want him dead." Toombs further explained and by this time Jack had returned and she didn't look like she believed him.

"Toombs. I am personally giving you one more chance, if you don't answer this, you will be a eunuch." She said and he nodded nervously.

"You said he wanted info on me and Riddick; this is plausible since you are the only merc in existence who keeps updated tabs on us, you've got highly valuable information here. So, what's the story now?" She asked coolly.

"He wants me dead to take my info, track you guys down and kill you."

"So how do we know this isn't a trap because it certainly seems like you're making us walk into our own death." Jack shot back and Toombs shook his head.

"Princess, there ain't no way he and I could ever agree on anything, not even whores." Toombs said and Jack nodded, still looking unconvinced.

"Right, so, there's no amount of money he could offer? Nothing? If he can get nearly full body reconstruction-"

"Don't jump ahead of yourself, babe, remember the government paid for it." Toombs smirked, correcting her.

"He'd still have a lot in his accounts, unless you transferred it all to your own and then it'd be no wonder he wants you dead. Stole a dead man's money, bitch, bad idea." Jack snarled and Riddick laid a hand on her arm; he did not need Jack's anger to be unleashed on Toombs, considering the poor guy didn't know _what_ the hell he was teasing.

"I didn't alright! I told you the truth and now I want him dead!" Toombs snapped back and Riddick suddenly heard it. He was still lying, he could tell.

"Fucking hell, just spit it out, alright? We ain't got time for this shit and if you don't, well, I'll let trigger-happy Jack get a shot at you." Riddick threatened and Toombs stopped for a moment, as if considering his options.

"Alright, alright, keep your pants on ladies." Toombs replied at first and started when Jack glared at him. "So he wants the info I got, I'd say he's still pissed at Riddick for leaving him to those aliens back on that planet."

"Not working yet, if he wants Riddick, why doesn't he just pick his lazy metal ass up and get here?" Jack asked.

"It'd be safer to work off of information for one thing and that information…well, as you've said; I've got that, so he needs my info. He knows I won't sell it, so he's got to kill me."

"How do you know he wants you dead anyway?" Riddick asked, a dark look taking residence in his face.

"Grapevine, Dickey Boy."

"So in short you want us to kill the guy who wants you dead to get info to kill us?" Jack asked, looking incredulous.

"Basically, yeah. And he won't be expecting his future targets to show up to slit his throat, either." Toombs added and Riddick thought of something else.

"Toombs, when you wire us the money, do it from your personal account, not your bounty account." He ordered and Toombs looked just as pissed as he did.

"No."

"Do it or we won't do this job." Riddick said and Toombs groaned and dragged his hand down his face.

"You smart bitches." He mumbled and Jack laughed.

"Damn straight." Jack said smiling. "So, you stay out of the light until we nail this bastard, alright? Is that easy enough for you or should I just lock you in a whorehouse with an endless supply of beer? Surely such a bottom-feeding-"

"Toombs, stay out of this, we'll take care of it." Riddick interrupted Jack and sent her a glare. "When we've bagged the shithead we'll contact you, alright?"

"Fine by me, Dickey Boy." Toombs said, grinning.

"Go fuck yourself in a corner." Jack snarled and his grin lessened. Usually taunts like that would've slid off him faster then fish slid through water, but when she said it, damn did it hurt.

"JNR9047, you have permission to land." A voice spoke through the speakers and Jack tapped into the headset.

"Thank you." She said before twisting the speaker piece back behind her head. She glanced at Riddick who was smoothly piloting the ship into its port lot, as if it were second nature for him.

When they set down, Jack immediately unbuckled the straps and took off the earpiece, tossing it into her chair. Riddick wasn't far behind her, trailing her path to their weapons closet. Well, one of them at least. As she opened it, he watched her eyes categorize the weapons for this kill, as if seeing in the future to see what weapon would work best.

"What's it going to be today, ma'am?" He asked sarcastically and Jack, who had picked up her favorite handgun, laughed and tapped his chest with the barrel of her gun.

"Don't get sassy with me." She smirked and cocked her gun, sighing when she realized it wasn't loaded. She moved to a different section of the closet for ammo and the like and loaded her gun as well as taking extra magazines.

"Sassy?" Riddick asked, laughing. As he spun a shiv in his hand, quickly sheathing it somewhere out of view, he said, "Jackie, if there is anyone sassy on this ship I'd say it would be you."

"Sassy or not, let's get this done with," Jack said, sounding a little unnerved.

"You alright?" Riddick asked, unsure if they should go out now. Last thing they needed was Jack to be high strung with two Berettas fully loaded in hand.

"Yeah, just that I don't like hunting down others for information, you know, the stalking through degrees." Jack explained, waving the barrel of one of her handguns around. _That_ always unnerved Riddick, the way she easily, without any hesitation whatsoever, used her weapons to emphasize her point.

"Stalking through degrees…I like that." He mused, walking out from their walk-in closet. Riddick had always found it amusing that most the people they were sent to kill had clothing walk-in closets, but no, not for himself and Jack, they had a weapons walk-in closet.

"Thought you would," she quickly added, tapping in the security key code for their weapons.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I'm going to be. Think I'll be giving out some free hospital rides today, darling." She said and Riddick winced. This could mean only one thing. It was that time of month where Jack took out her hormonal aggression on their targets. He was secretly glad there was a target because being her object of aggression during those few days was hell.

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**Note: sorry this update is late again, I was working on the story when I was away, but I didn't have internet so I couldn't get the chapters to my beta, much less update it. **

**TRO- Yay for nice twists, just wait for the next chapter. Don't worry, Toombs will always be in and out, his character is too irresistible not to write about. **

**ren3017- Yeah, it is pretty gross but it was the only way I could really think of doing it, besides some strange voodoo thing of like, Johns' past lover putting him back together through voodoo, not that Johns would have a lover that would ever put up with him.** **Hope you had a good holiday too.**

**lamyka- Good, I was worried you guys wouldn't really like how I brought Johns back, glad it worked. Hope you liked this chapter.**

**Nikita1506- I think to bring back Shazza would've been harder, considering half of her would've been in one beast, the other half in another, if I remember correctly. Yes! When I was typing it I wondered if it seemed realistic that he would ever say them. **

**njrd- Thanks for your great review, it always makes me happy. I'll review Soul Mates as soon as I finish this up, it's going really well.**

**harmony69- Gah, you reviewed three times, but thanks. Hope you liked the chapter.**

**teiboi- Didn't get around to the 'soon' part, but did update.**

**Missy Jade-** **Wow, thanks, you read Of Schoolgirls and Convicts in one night? That's damn impressive. Hope you like this one, too. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Death's Grin 6**

"I'm not going to ask you again," Riddick said, sounding bored as he put a little more pressure on the man's head that was now between the glass covered floor and the bottom of his boot, slick with spilled beer.

"I don't want no trouble!" The bartender said loudly, but nervously.

"How much was that glass and beer?" Jack asked, sliding onto a stool in front of the counter.

"Uh…that'd be…uh…" he stuttered, now completely afraid with Jack's cold glare.

"Here, this should cover the broken glass, the beer and any clean up costs." She said, tossing a cred chip at him. The bartender caught it in midair and nodded.

"There be a back room for dis kind o' business." The bartender said, waving towards the back of the bar. "I'd greatly appreciate-"

"Shut it." Riddick snarled and grabbed the neck of their victim and dragged him back through the bar, kicking open the door to the private room. Jack sweetly smiled as she slid off the stool, grabbing a bottle of hard liquor from the bar's stock. The door of the back room clicked behind her and the bartender gulped nervously. This wasn't going to be good for business.

Jack took in the room as she entered it, the low ceiling, peeling paint, a worn black metal table in the center, with four chairs around it. She was surprised that the lights had a dimmer; usually in low-class bars like this they would have older versions, which would be light or no light at all.

Riddick had unceremoniously tossed the man onto the table top, looking down at him through his black goggles. Jack pulled out one of the chairs and stepping up onto it, sat down on the thin back of the chair, leaning over and resting her elbows on her knees. From one hand dangled a handgun, the other the unopened bottle of liquor.

"What's the plan?" She asked, her eyes adjusting as Riddick ordered for the lights to be at 25. This was how it was on the ship, so it didn't bother Jack but a bolt of shivers went down her spine when Riddick removed his goggles. She would never get enough of the steely gaze.

"Since he doesn't seem up to talking…I'd say some torture," Riddick calmly said and didn't miss Jack's jaw clench.

"Sure he won't speak?" Jack asked, leaning over their victim. He looked a little dazed and the shards of glass sticking out of one side of his face didn't help much.

"Yes," he replied shortly, "now take out the glass."

Jack did as she was told, stepping off the chair and setting the bottle down. Tucking in her gun in the back of her pants, she got to work with the little tools she had, which consisted of her hands, nails and blades. Pulling out a dirty strip of cloth from a pocket, she pried his jaw open and gagged him, letting his head fall back hard down onto the table.

"First question," Riddick started. "You saw Johns some three nights ago correct?"

The man understood the question perfectly, but didn't answer. Riddick nodded and Jack quickly pulled out a piece of glass from his face, making him groan into the gag.

"I'm not in the mood for this," Riddick said darkly, grabbing the man's shirt and fisting his hand in it, pulling up his body and head and slamming it back down onto the table. Jack could barely keep from jumping. She was a hunter, not a torturer.

"Next question; where is Johns going?" He asked and the man groaned as Jack took out another piece of glass. "WHERE IS HE GOING!" Riddick shouted and Jack's eyes turned cold with hate; she wasn't going to let this fly when they got back to the ship. Riddick hadn't done this the way she had wanted, which was to threaten at gunpoint. This was getting out of hand and the gold ring on the man's wedding finger wasn't helping matters at all.

"You're going to start losing body parts if you don't tell me where the fuck-" He was cut off by Jack's warning growl. Suddenly he stepped back, realizing that he had let his beast out and never even noticed. He wasn't sure if Jack knew this but he did know that shit was going to hit the fan when they finished this job up.

He didn't voice any complaint as Jack gently removed the glass from the man's face and using the untied gag, doused it in the alcohol and cleaned the wounds. The entire procedure was silent until the man spoke.

"You weak bitch, can't even handle torture," he spat at Jack's feet and before Riddick could even tell Jack to stand down, she had backhanded the man's head into a corner of the table.

"Tell us where Johns is." She ordered and the man laughed, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. "Now." She added and he stopped laughing when his gaze was met with the barrel of a handgun. "Death at point blank is quick, but what if I did something else…like have you running and with a few shots, shatter your knee caps…then…your shoulders and wait, before the knee caps how about I slowly slice your Achilles tendons? Hmmm? How does that sound?"

Riddick was surprised but refused to show it. It was like she would take the blame of torturing the victim, but refuse to be a tool while he did it. While he used plain and simple tones to ask his questions and voice his threats, Jack would often smile and her eyes would cloud with a sort of bloodlust that could easily be mistaken for sex lust. Her voice would purr and her body would move with her threats, like a feline's body following its roar.

The man had narrowed his eyes, not believing her threats until she moved down the table and gently began to roll up his pant legs, as if a mother were doing it for her child who was about to run and play in the mud.

"Hey, c'mon now, c'mon man, this isn't funny." He began to inch up the table, kicking his leg free of Jack's grasp.

"Neither is you not telling us what Johns said and where he is heading," Jack replied smoothly, her eyes now glinting.

"Christ! I'll tell you! Just let me up!" He said and Jack backed off, letting him sit up on the table. He glanced at Riddick who inclined his head just slightly, as if greeting him for the first time.

"So…we're waiting." Jack pulled a chair towards her and placed it backwards, swinging one leg over the side and straddling it. She had placed the bottle of alcohol behind her, near the chair and had one handgun in hand.

"So…this Johns guy…he…he's weird looking, you know? All mechanized and shit, anyway, we did some business some years back, when I was first gettin' in the business. It went smooth as a clean whore's ass and we kinda got along, well enough to exchange calling numbers. We keep in touch, whatever, then he disappears for a while, but I was fucking around in backwater systems, picking up shit for nothing bounties, but I didn't keep in touch with the news or shit, never have, bunch of useless crap. So…you know…he calls me up and asks how I've been, how're the wife and kids, the usual, he-"

"Let me get this straight," Jack said, motioning towards his hand with the ring with her gun, "you are actually married with kids?"

"Killed my wife for black market organ trade, sold my kids, but this comes in handy for the 'you can't kill me, I've got a wife and kids' shit, least for those mother fuckers who fall for that shit."

Just as he said that, Jack's hatred level doubled for this man and Riddick started to think about moving to the other side of the table, just in case he said something else to piss her off.

"Keep going." He growled and the guy turned around, surprised that Riddick had spoken. He slowly went back to facing Jack and the rhythm got going again.

"Where was I…oh right, so he calls me up and asks if we could chat over some drinks. I say sure and he shows up about a week later and we come here, 'm a regular customer and all. And we begin to talk and I don't ask shit about his body, it was weird. He needed money, don't know why, guy was always loaded, but I say sure, give him a few hundred and he's all thankful 'n shit, but he asks if I know anyone who could lend him a ship."

"How'd he get here if he didn't have his own?" Jack asked and the man motioned for her to be quiet.

"Exactly what I asked and he gives me shit about not asking unneeded questions so I don't. So I give 'im some names and this one name his eyes kinda lit up and he asks more about this guy and I tell him what I know and-"

"What was this name?"

"Uh…guy goes by his last name…uh…grave…crypt…coffin, what is his name!"

"Toombs?"

"Yeah! Toombs! So I tell him and eventually he thanks me and it's like…an hour before the brothels close so I tell him I gotta jet, there are beds for me to break and-" suddenly he lunged at Jack's handgun and she easily backed off the chair and crouching to the floor, she slipped a straight knife from her boot and grabbing one his ankles, pulled it to the floor and slammed the blade straight through his boot and into the floor. The man was breathless from the pain and Riddick grabbed the gag and jammed it in the man's mouth.

"Tell me where Johns is now."

The man shook his head from left to right and screamed into the gag as Jack twisted the knife in his foot.

"Tell me, bitch, or this is going to get nasty."

Finally the man nodded and Riddick released him, but eyed the man's sweet spot as he began to talk.

"He…he…he's going to…" he stopped briefly and Jack ground the knife into his foot and he nearly screamed but bit through his lip instead.

"Where?" Riddick asked again.

"…He…he…Helion Pr-rime," he barely said it before Riddick went right for his sweet spot. As he cleaned off his blade, he realized Jack hadn't budged since he had revealed the name of Johns' destination.

"Jack? Jack? Jackie?" He walked over to her and shook her slightly and she startled, pulling her knife from the dead man's foot. Without words she cleaned the blade and put away her gun, her lower lip trembling as she did. "Babe, Jack, listen to me," Riddick wrapped his arms around her body and almost flinched when she buried her face in his chest, her tremors increasing. When they finally ebbed away, she looked up at him and spoke quietly.

"Riddick…he's going after Imam!"

"TOOMBS!" Riddick's angry voice over the call network startled him from his chair. Gulping, the merc patched the connection and waited for the onslaught.

"Yeah?"

"You said Johns was after you, you're floating a few systems away so why the FUCK is he going to Helion Prime?" He demanded, the question barely audible in his tone.

"Oh right, you've got some religious buddy there…huh, no idea. My guess is that he's trying to pull you out of hiding, you know, skipping the step of trying to kill me." Toombs replied and by the angry growl on the other end, he knew it wasn't the right answer.

"Then why didn't he do that in the beginning?" Jack's voice floated through the connection and Toombs knew she had been crying, he could hear it in her tone.

"Sweetie, I have no idea why he's going to Helion Prime. Maybe he's trying to pull two strings at once, 'cause he doesn't know I've hired you two. He thinks that, where you'll go, I go. Don't forget, this hunt on me isn't just about your info, I've stolen a shitload of money from this mother fucking bitch of a robot," Toombs explained.

"Good enough." Riddick replied darkly.

"So, you goin' to HP?" Toombs asked.

"What the hell do you think?" The convict snapped back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Keep in touch, Dickey Boy," and with that, the connection was cut.

**Thanks to these reviewers:**

**TRO- Oh twists, they are so much fun to write! Yeah, although Toombs can be annoying, if it were a choice of being stuck in a ship for an untold amount of time with Toombs or Johns, I'd think we'd pick Toombs. **

**DemonDogs- It's fun when reviewers pick out their favourite lines. I like that.**

**Nikita1506- Romance...erm…eh, alright, I'll work it in. **

**njrd- New chapter! Vacation ended for me, so all this work is put back on me so writing isn't as easy as it was, considering I also wrote a ten-page one-shot that should go up tonight. Thanks for reviewing though.**

**lamyka- And you had it, hope you liked it. **


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